LPM Insider’s Top 5 Professional Development Articles of 2018

Technology is great, but theft prevention relies primarily on the talented people who fulfill loss prevention positions.

By Garett Seivold

In a 2016 survey of retail loss prevention executives, staff turnover and retention of staff was identified as a cause of concern. “Attracting and retaining a good caliber of loss protection professional at regional and street level [is problematic],” said one respondent in the report by Professor Martin Gill, Retail Loss Prevention in Perspective, PCRI.

The report notes that high staff turnover in stores, including in asset protection and loss prevention positions, complicates the effort to keep general and LP staff continually updated and skilled in profit protection. Moreover, the issue is not likely to abate anytime soon. As the labor market continues to tighten, the risk of losing quality LP practitioners is likely to increase…. Read the full article.

Do you know what women believe about their role in loss prevention? You may be surprised.

Learn more in our exclusive FREE Special Report sponsored by Tyco Retail Solutions and Protos Security - The Women of Loss Prevention: How Women View Their Current Roles in the Industry.

Every year, the bar is raised for the retail industry, which means the bar for our asset protection leadership must also be raised in kind to reflect the diverse needs and expectations of the business. This requires that we allocate our time and resources wisely, maximizing efforts and making the most out of our opportunities so that we get the most out of every decision and every experience.

There are many different aspects of the conference experience that makes these events so valuable to the attendees. Each individual has their favorite sessions based on their needs and preferences. We might focus on an experience or contact made in the exposition hall, or even a more informal meeting with a solution provider that ends in a productive and meaningful outcome. But from a big-picture perspective, what were some of the more prominent takeaways from the conference as a whole?… Read the full article.

Can LP Help Forge Collaboration to Fuel Retail’s Technology Revolution?

By Garett Seivold

The giant course correction hitting retail now appears pointed squarely in one direction—toward technology. It was the sum and substance of presentations at the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Big Show in New York in January. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the retailers that win the future will be those that realize they are tech firms as well as retail companies.

The NRF’s senior vice president for retail strategy painted a picture of the retail store to be—with augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, and other tech tools—then noted that the future was two years away. Morning-after headlines reinforced the foremost conference takeaway, like the New York Times‘ “At Retail’s Big Show, Technology Takes Center Stage.” And so did its coverage: “It was a conference about shopping that looked more like an expo for tech, as if the electronics trade show CES had decamped from Las Vegas and moved to the Javits Center in Manhattan.”… Read the full article.

Seems like every time I go about writing, the timing falls during a period of change. Elections, seasons, holidays, and so on. Probably, the act of writing gets me thinking about what’s going on around me, and I can’t help but observe that we are living in a time of monumental change.

Then, the realist in me speaks up and I wonder, is our time in history any more chaotic than any other? I’m not sure, but I’ll bet a social scientist is working on it, crunching the numbers.

The change I’ve been thinking about a lot lately has to do with the #MeToo movement and the survey results that came out in LP Magazine regarding women in loss prevention… Read the full article.

Under the bright skies and warm weather in Dallas, TX, the Lone Star State corralled the retail industry Tuesday morning as the 2018 NRF PROTECT Loss Prevention Conference and Expo took the stage from the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Following an evening welcome reception Monday night, this year’s conference once again commenced with the presentation of colors and introductory statements from Bob Moraca, NRF vice president of loss prevention.

“Over the next several days, LP professionals will have the opportunity to equip themselves with valuable industry knowledge, techniques and the latest technologies so they can tackle their biggest loss prevention challenges” said Moraca. “For the first time, this year the National Retail Federation (NRF) has partnered with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) to provide force multipliers for the industry. Attendees will leave feeling informed and confident in their ability to PROTECT the people, assets, and brands they serve.”… Read the full article.

Current Issue

From shoplifting response and reaction to a conversation with a supply chain omni-channel expert, from the bumpy road of supply chain security to managing unexpected loss in the bagging area, the January–February 2019 issue of LP Magazine delivers great ideas to make you a smarter LP professional.